Improved railroad-car wheel



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Letters Patent N o. 97,407, dated November 30. 1869.

IMPROVED RAILROAD-CAR WHEEL.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same To all whom Iit may concern Be it known that I, lmwls B. HUNT, of Lererett, in the county of Franklin, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Gar W'hcels; and I do hcrebydeclare the followinguto bc a fnll, clear, vand exact description thereof', which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming apart ot' this specilicatiop, in which drawinglFigure 1 represents a side view of the wheel', one of the semi-l1ubs being removed.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the axis of 'the wheel.

Similar letters indica-te corresponding parts.

AMy invention consists in interposing between theV hub, which is iixed to the axle, and the sliding rim arranged on the liub, of' a series of independent rnbcylinders, which shall produce a yielding connection between the parts, and which,when the rim drags or slips, will rotatel and play in the space in which they are arranged.

The invention further consists in the general combination ot' certain parts, as will be hereinafter described.

In the example of my invention here shown, the lcttcrA designates the rim of the \vheel,ha\'ingacen trai opening through it, which, in this illustration, is made circular.

This central `opening receives the hub, which is made in two divisions B B, each division being composed ot' acylindrical part, G, and a flange, l), the parts C being inserted into theopen spaccof tberim, from opposite sides, and the flanges embracing the sides ot` the rim, whiclrthcy overlap, as is shown in the drawing.

, The semi-hubs C C do not quite till the central opening of the rim, and the annular space which is lei't between them,I iill with an elastic cushion. 'lhis cushion can be'made in various ways.

One mode of vmaking it is by means of cylinders of India rubber, E, ot' such a diameter as snugly to ll the annular space, and ot' a length equal to the thickness ofthe walls ofthe rim, as shown in h'gs. 1 and 2.

Between the flanges l) and the sides ot' the rim A,

I intcrpose a iilling or layer ot' India rubber, F, or

other suitable material, to make elastic joints at those .to hold the three parts together, that is to say, the

rim A and the divisions B B, and thereby form the wheel.

\Vhen ears are passing around curves, it is important that the wheels on one side should slip, or be independent of those on the opposite side, so that there is less friction between thel wheels and tracks, and, consequently', less opportunity for breakage ot' the flanges, and less liability of the cars to run ott` the track.

1t will bc observed that th(l rim A is only held to the hub by the flanges D 1) ot' the latter, and, consequently, it is possible for the rim to slip on the hub, when, for example, the brakes -are pnt on the wheel, while under good headway, or in passing around curves, for the purpose stated above.

.l do not contine myself` to any particular shape` oi' rinneas the shape or form may be varied, as desired.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Tietters Patent, is,-

1. lhe combination, with the hub I), fixed to the axle, and a sliding rim, A, oi' the series ot' independent elastic cylinders, arranged in the space between said two parts, and operating as herein described.

2. A wheel, consisting ot' two similar flanged cylinders B C D, connected together, and tirmly keyed to the axle, in combination with the sliding rim A, having -a space between them, receiving the elastic cylindrical packing E, and with the packing l interposed betweenl the iianges of the hub and the sides of the rim, the whole opera-ting together as and for the pur# pose herein described. A

LEWIS B. HUN'l.

\\'itnesses:

W. HAI'Fr,

l". F. KAs'rexn eeen. 

